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GUELPH – The Guelph Storm added plenty of experience and character Wednesday in the form of overage defenceman Saverio Posa.

Posa was the captain of the Windsor Spitfires and the last player on that team who had played on the Memorial Cup championship squad of 2010.

The price was relatively cheap: a fourth round draft pick in 2013 that originally belonged to the Saginaw Spirit.

To make room for Posa the Storm released overage goaltender Keegan Wilson.

“I don’t watch the other team’s players that much when we play them, but he was Windsor’s captain and I know Bob Boughner and Warren Rychel don’t take that lightly,” Storm coach Scott Walker said, referring to the Spitfires coach and general manager. “To me that’s the most important thing, that he was their captain.”

The Storm announced the trade Wednesday afternoon, 24 hours before the OHL trade deadline of noon Thursday.

Posa wasn’t in town in time for Wednesday’s light practice, where injuries, illness and trades led to just 11 players on the ice.

They will be without Tanner Richard and Andrey Pedan Friday when they host the 10th ranked Barrie Colts. Richard got a one game suspension for a slew foot and Pedan a two-game suspension for a second fight during the same stoppage in Tuesday’s game in Kitchener.

The five-foot 10-inch Posa is a native of Grand Blanc, Mi. He has 10 points in 38 games this season. In total he has played 229 OHL games, all with Windsor, scoring six goals and adding 47 points along with 174 penalty minutes.

“I talked to the kid and he sounds like a great kid. He was nervous and excited to come here. He was just so thrilled to come here,” Walker said.

Storm GM Kelly said there had been discussions with Windsor over the last couple of weeks.

“He seems extremely excited. He sees us as a team that has a much better chance than Windsor – his words more so than mine,” Kelly said.

“He’s got a reputation of being a character-plus kid. I think he’s going to be a huge addition for us on and off the ice.”

Kelly said he is still working at improving the team, but no more trades were imminent and he would be “quite happy” with the team he has now should nothing else materialize.

Wilson had been acquired in a trade earlier this year. He appeared in seven games for the Storm. He won two of them and posted a 4.19 goals against average per game.

Kelly team said it is in the process of signing a 19-year-old free agent goaltender who has major junior experience to back up Garret Sparks for the duration of the season.